Why Fabio Vieira deserves to start ahead of Kai Havertz for Arsenal
The international break arrives at a very welcome time for Arsenal midfielder Kai Havertz.
To say it’s been a rough start to the season for the Gunners’ new £65m man would be a vast understatement. His performance levels have been the talk of the world for mostly the wrong reasons; his every move is being scrutinised - and, in some quarters, scoffed at - as the spotlight comes down hard on every kick - or mis-kick! - and every movement he makes.
Concerns were raised all the way back in pre-season, when his hapless attempt at an exhibition volley challenge had people muttering about Darwin Nunez’s similarly troubling early months at Liverpool last year. They carried into the campaign as some rather lethargic performances caused worry, then the conversation hit fever pitch last weekend as he mis-kicked a golden chance from 10 yards, gave the ball away to spark Marcus Rashford’s opening goal, then had a penalty revoked by VAR.
It was a game in which he could find no reprieve, a deadly trifecta of unfortunate events rocking his foundations. The misery was then compounded by Fabio Vieira - his direct rival for a spot in the XI - stepping off the bench, looking super sharp and assisting Gabriel Jesus’ dagger in the final moments of the game.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended Havertz post-game, admitting it’s been a "difficult beginning" before launching into a strange analogy about courting his wife, likely trying to convey the message that love can blossom from even the most tenuous of starts.
He’s right, of course. Not only is the aforementioned Darwin Nunez a fine example of how even expensive players may need a foundation year, but Fabio Vieira is too. The Portuguese struggled to make any sort of real impact on Arsenal last season following a €40m move, but one year on looks an entirely different animal.
"Something has changed with Fabio," Arteta said. "You notice with the crowd when he steps in he is different to how he was last year. He’s more mature, he’s more senior in the squad and his confidence in the squad is high."
That confidence is something Arteta will be praying Havertz finds - and fast. Arsenal know from first-hand experience last season that when you’re in a title race with Manchester City, draws are basically losses; there is zero margin for error. In that high-pressure environment it’s tough to carry passengers or wait for players to find form while in the team.
It becomes even tougher to do that when the player breathing down Havertz’s neck looks in fine, fine fettle. There are moments when he looks like a Martin Odegaard clone, threading beautiful passes and jinking around challenges. There’s a dynamism to his play that is absent from Havertz’s.
Vieira has notched two assists in just 47 minutes, looking lively and bright off the bench, and while goal involvement tallies do not fully define success for a midfielder, the longer Havertz stays locked on zero, the louder the humming will get.
Perhaps most importantly of all, there’s a clear relationship between Vieira and left-winger Gabriel Martinelli, who is a pivotal part of the attack. There’s no such connection with Havertz; he only passed to the German five times in 77 minutes on Sunday, ignoring a series of overlapping runs on his outside and often skipping him when passing inside, aiming for Odegaard - double the distance - or even Bukayo Saka - triple the distance. Vieira received the ball from Martinelli three times in just 13 minutes, for comparison.
There’s a strong argument that Havertz could benefit from the same "bedding in" period that Vieira did, but the situations are fundamentally different: Vieira had completed just one full senior season when signed, whereas Havertz is five full years into a career, which has seen him score the winning goal in the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup final.
You don’t buy players for £65m, then let them settle in quietly. Equally, you can’t afford to carry anyone in the Premier League - especially when Manchester City drive such a ferociously high standard in the title race.
Ultimately, Arteta will be grateful for a timely quiet period in club football and, when it returns, the introduction of cup football for his side, as it will give him ample minutes to share around and perhaps even switch Havertz to Champions League and Carabao Cup action, therefore giving Vieira what many would suggest is a well-earned crack at Premier League starts.
